CAFE Lab

Publications

We publish open access wherever possible so our work can be used by landholders, managers and community groups, not only scientists.

Selected papers

Peer-reviewed articles and chapters by theme

Farms and agroecology 4
  1. Canning, A. D. (2026). Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) mulch and urea interactions shape soil biota and nitrogen cycling. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 407, 110448. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2026.110448
  2. Canning, A. D. (2026). Vermicompost alters soil microbial communities and decomposition but increases nitrate leaching in tropical sugarcane. Ecology and Evolution, 16(1), e72925.
  3. Canning, A. D. (2025). A review on harnessing the invasive water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) for use as an agricultural soil amendment. Land, 14(5), 1116.
  4. Canning, A. D. (2022). Rediscovering wild food to diversify production across Australia's agricultural landscapes. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6. doi:10.3389/fsufs.2022.865580

Wetlands and landscape ecology 10
  1. Canning, A. D., & Tink, M. (2026). Floodplain reforestation reduces nitrate loss through soil microbial pathways. Ecological Evidence and Solutions.
  2. Canning, A. D., & Duke, N. C. (2026). Assessing threats and rehabilitation opportunities for mangrove-saltmarsh blue carbon ecosystems. Ocean & Coastal Management, 271, 107974. doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2026.107974
  3. Canning, A. D. (2025). Scoping the suitability of water-tolerant species of trees for swamp restorations across Australia and its Great Barrier Reef catchment. Restoration Ecology, e14375. doi:10.1111/rec.14375
  4. Duke, N. C., & Canning, A. D. (2025). Biomass and canopy condition indicators of short-term effects and long-term recovery of mangrove forests affected by a large oil spill. Bulletin of Marine Science. doi:10.5343/bms.2024.0037
  5. Duke, N. C., Canning, A. D., & Mackenzie, J. R. (2024). More intense severe tropical cyclones in recent decades cause greater impacts on mangroves bordering Australia's Great Barrier Reef. In Oceanographic processes of coral reefs (pp. 1–25). CRC Press. doi:10.1201/9781003320425-18
  6. Cadier, C., Waltham, N. J., Canning, A. D., Fry, S., & Adame, M. F. (2023). Tidal restoration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from freshwater impounded coastal wetlands. Restoration Ecology, 31(8). doi:10.1111/rec.13829
  7. Canning, A. D., Smart, J. C. R., Dyke, J., Curwen, G., Hasan, S., & Waltham, N. J. (2023). Constructed wetlands suitability for sugarcane profitability, freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem services. Environmental Management, 71, 304–320. doi:10.1007/s00267-022-01734-4
  8. Duke, N. C., Mackenzie, J. R., Canning, A. D., Hutley, L. B., Bourke, A. J., Kovacs, J. M., et al. (2022). ENSO-driven extreme oscillations in mean sea level destabilise critical shoreline mangroves: An emerging threat. PLOS Climate, 1(8), e0000037. doi:10.1371/journal.pclm.0000037
  9. Canning, A. D., & Waltham, N. J. (2021). Ecological impact assessment of climate change and habitat loss on wetland vertebrate assemblages of the Great Barrier Reef catchment and the influence of survey bias. Ecology and Evolution, 11(10), 5244–5254. doi:10.1002/ece3.7412
  10. Canning, A. D., Jarvis, D., Costanza, R., Hasan, S., Smart, J. C. R., Finisdore, J., et al. (2021). Financial incentives for large-scale wetland restoration: Beyond markets to common asset trusts. One Earth, 4(7), 937–950. doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2021.06.006

Water quality targets and catchment loads 7
  1. Canning, A. D. (2026). Agricultural practices for cleaner water: A global synthesis of meta-evidence. Environmental Reviews, 34, 1–19. doi:10.1139/er-2025-0263
  2. Canning, A. D., & Death, R. G. (2023). Establishing riverine nutrient criteria using individual taxa thresholds. Water Research, 246. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2023.120731
  3. Davis, M. T., Canning, A. D., Midwinter, A. C., & Death, R. G. (2022). Nitrate enrichment does not affect enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in aquatic microcosms but may affect other strains present in aquatic habitats. PeerJ, 10. doi:10.7717/peerj.13914
  4. Joy, M. K., Rankin, D. A., Wohler, L., Boyce, P., Canning, A. D., Foote, K. J., & McNie, P. M. (2022). The grey water footprint of milk due to nitrate leaching from dairy farms in Canterbury, New Zealand. Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, 29(2), 177–199. Eric Anderson Award for Best Paper. doi:10.1080/14486563.2022.2068685
  5. Joy, M. K., & Canning, A. D. (2021). Shifting baselines and political expediency in New Zealand's freshwater management. Marine and Freshwater Research, 72(4), 456–461. doi:10.1071/MF20210
  6. Canning, A. D., Joy, M. K., & Death, R. G. (2021). Nutrient criteria to achieve New Zealand's riverine macroinvertebrate targets. PeerJ, 9. doi:10.7717/peerj.11556
  7. Phiri, B. J., Pita, A. B., Hayman, D. T. S., Biggs, P. J., Davis, M. T., Fayaz, A., Canning, A. D., French, N. P., & Death, R. G. (2020). Does land use affect pathogen presence in New Zealand drinking water supplies?. Water Research, 185. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2020.116229

Freshwater ecosystem health 10
  1. Coughlan, A., Canning, A. D., & Death, R. G. (2025). Development of a trait-based risk assessment to minimise the impacts of trout on New Zealand native fishes. Ecology and Evolution, 15, e72480. doi:10.1002/ece3.72480
  2. Coughlan, A., & Canning, A. D. (2025). The influence of rainbow trout on dwarf galaxiid habitat preferences. Fishes, 10(9), 456. doi:10.3390/fishes10090456
  3. Canning, A. D., Zammit, C., & Death, R. G. (2024). The implications of climate change for New Zealand's freshwater fish. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. doi:10.1139/cjfas-2024-0015
  4. Canning, A. D., & Death, R. G. (2021). The influence of nutrient enrichment on riverine food web function and stability. Ecology and Evolution, 11(2), 942–954. doi:10.1002/ece3.7107
  5. Canning, A. D., & Death, R. G. (2019). Ecosystem health indicators: Freshwater environments. In Encyclopedia of Ecology (2nd ed., pp. 46–60). Elsevier. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.10617-7
  6. Canning, A. D., Death, R. G., & Gardner, E. M. (2019). Forest canopy affects stream macroinvertebrate assemblage structure but not trophic stability. Freshwater Science, 38(1), 40–52. doi:10.1086/701378
  7. Canning, A. D., Death, R. G., & Gardner, E. M. (2018). The effect of forest canopy and flood disturbance on New Zealand stream food web structure and robustness. Austral Ecology, 43(3), 352–358. doi:10.1111/aec.12573
  8. Canning, A. D. (2018). Predicting New Zealand riverine fish reference assemblages. PeerJ, 6. doi:10.7717/peerj.4890
  9. Canning, A. D., & Death, R. G. (2018). Relative ascendency predicts food web robustness. Ecological Research, 33(5), 873–878. doi:10.1007/s11284-018-1585-1
  10. Canning, A. D., & Death, R. G. (2017). Trophic cascade direction and flow determine network flow stability. Ecological Modelling, 355, 18–23. doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2017.03.020

Selected technical reports

  1. Canning, A. D., & Corradi, T. (2026). Approaches to reporting riverine health in the Southern Gulf NRM region. TropWATER Report 26/57.
  2. Canning, A. D. (2026). Monitoring riverine ecosystem health across the Southern Gulf NRM region. TropWATER Report 26/56.
  3. Canning, A. D., & Duke, N. C. (2025). Remote sensing assessment of mangrove condition and change in North Queensland and Mackay (1990–2025). TropWATER Report 25/75.
  4. Duke, N. C., & Canning, A. D. (2024). Torres Strait islands mangrove and saltmarsh condition survey 2024. TropWATER Report 24/79.
  5. Williams, J., Canning, A. D., Luke, H., & Rose, M. (2024). Review of potential indicators for regenerative agriculture in the Australian grain industry. Southern Cross University.
  6. Canning, A. D., & Duke, N. C. (2023). Scoping sites for blue carbon restoration along the southern Great Barrier Reef. TropWATER Report 23/71.
  7. Canning, A. D. (2023). The influence of land use on nitrate leaching after flooding in a sugarcane catchment. TropWATER Report 23/41.
  8. Canning, A. D., Adame, F., & Waltham, N. J. (2021). Evaluating services provided by ponded pasture wetlands in Great Barrier Reef catchments: Tedlands case study. NESP report.
  9. Waltham, N. J., Canning, A. D., Smart, J., Hasan, S., Curwen, G., & Butler, B. (2021). Financial incentive schemes to fund wetland restoration across the GBR catchment. NESP report.
  10. Canning, A. D. (2020). Nutrients in New Zealand rivers and streams: An exploration and derivation of national nutrient criteria. Essential Freshwater Science and Technical Advisory Group.

Over 40 technical reports in total. Full records on Google Scholar and ORCID.